Progress (and Regress) In LGBTQ Rights It’s been 50 years since Stonewall, the moment that launched the queer civil rights movement, and there is a lot to celebrate. In the areas of work, housing, marriage, and access to queer-sensitive health care and HIV treatment, our progress has been nothing short of astounding. At the same… read more

Sex is a natural part of life—as are the occasional sexual health concerns. According to Dr. Derek Polonsky of Harvard Medical School, between 35 and 50 percent of all humans will experience a long-term sexual issue (anything from difficulty reaching orgasm, to post-traumatic anxiety, to mismatched sex drives between partners) at some point in their… read more

Have you heard of the “Headless Women of Hollywood?” No, it’s not the name of a low-budget horror film—it’s a twitter account started by comedian Marcia Belsky, which calls attention to the Hollywood trend of featuring women’s headless bodies in their advertising materials. The goal of the project, Belsky states, “is to show how female sexuality is fragmented and sold to us in parts, so that our bodies become interchangeable for men and marketed without our pleasure in mind.”

In other words, Belsky is shining a light on the ways in which the (typically cisgendered) female body is objectified and used as a tool to sell films. While there are many types of objectification, her project looks specifically at sexual objectification, which occurs when people (often, but not always, women) are portrayed “solely as de-personalised objects of desire instead of as individuals with complex personalities and desires/plans of their own.”

Isn’t it frustrating when you know for certain that something is true, yet the person you’re talking to refuses to believe you? Maybe they’re questioning a theory that you spent years developing in graduate school, or maybe they’re just misremembering the plot of your favorite book. Either way, their patronizing attitude and refusal to recognize… read more

Researchers have a number of theories about why we engage in the act of stereotyping. Some believe it developed as a way to promote group identity and strengthen the social systems that allow us to survive. Others believe it’s simply a matter of ease, as our brains process categorized information more efficiently.

Yet for every evolutionary “pro” that comes with stereotyping, there are several obvious cons. In addition to popularizing untrue (and often insulting) myths about large and diverse groups of people, stereotyping can have devastating psychological effects on the people being categorized.

The effects of trauma are multifaceted; it can alter not only our mood, but also the sensations we feel in our body, such as headaches, gastrointestinal distress, and more. It can even make us feel as though we’ve lost control of essential parts of ourselves; many survivors of sexual trauma, for example, struggle to regain their sense of control over their own sexuality.

How can we reclaim this essential part of ourselves and learn to find joy from it? We looked to experienced therapists, including Viva Practitioner Alina McClerklin, LICSW, and sex therapist Vanessa Marin, for ways to regain one’s sense of control.

According to a recent study, “Healthy sexual function is a…life quality factor that creates a sense of shared pleasure in couples and increases their capability” to cope with stress and life problems. “Sexual interactions are indeed the prerequisite for strengthening mental and emotional dependence in couples, and are under the influence of many factors.”

So how can couples keep their sex life functioning healthily through long periods of time and major life changes?

Straight off the bat—what are Chakras? According to ancient Hindu, Jainist, and Buddhist healing practices, Chakras are the energy centers of the body. There are seven centers, each of which relates to a specific energy category and affects the flow of our spiritual life. Balancing your Chakras is essential to living a fulfilling and happy… read more